


The Moment Between Sunset and Twilight.

by KaithTheKid



Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27598553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaithTheKid/pseuds/KaithTheKid
Summary: The Sonic Rainbooms are going strong, and Sunset is finally ready to show them all a song she's written.
Relationships: Sunset Shimmer/Crystal Prep Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	The Moment Between Sunset and Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle opened her locker, relieved it was the end of the week. As the locker swung open, a paper heart fluttered from where it had been caught in the vents at the top of the door. Swinging her arm down gracefully, Twilight caught the heart before it hit the ground. She quickly scanned it as she hung her backpack in the locker. Looked like Pinkie Pie decided to hold a last minute bash celebrating Valentine’s Day. Twilight Sparkle eyed the red heart skeptically. The girls at this school were very nice, but she had never been to a party. Nobody at Crystal Prep ever remembered to invite her, and even if they had, she probably would have skipped. 

Twilight shifted her backpack to fit in all the books she wanted this weekend as she thought. It was hard for her to believe these popular, beautiful, talented girls wanted her as a friend, but they truly seemed to. They invited her to band practice, to see Rainbow Dash’s games, Rarity’s shows, Fluttershy’s fundraisers and so many other events, but this was the first actual party. It probably wasn’t a big deal to anybody but Twilight, but she felt very conscious of her status as a new kid, an awkward bookworm next to six magical rockstars. In the back of her head, she wondered if this was just a pity invite, but she squashed down that thought. She’d been spending plenty of time with them since transferring, and the only person who seemed to doubt their friendship was Twilight herself. 

To skip the first official party she’d ever been invited to would be rude enough, but skipping a Pinkie Pie party was just absurd. She’d heard about the confetti cannons, and surely any amount of anxiety was worth it for that. She resolved to get at least some homework done before the shindig the next night- at least Pinkie had been thoughtful enough to give 24 hours of notice. Twilight finished organizing her bag on autopilot, and used her shoulder to brace the slightly bent metal door long enough to lock her locker. Still deep in consideration of this new party, she set off down the halls.

Here at Equestria High, Twilight Sparkle had found herself embraced by the six most popular girls at school, immediately. They seemed to already know her, but were still happy to learn more. It didn’t take her long to know them well, either- a part of her already seemed to recognize their traits. Though Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were really nice to her, Sunset Shimmer had easily become her closest friend out of the group.The others had all been naturally talented and charismatic. They were the most likable girls in school, with none of the mean girl stereotypes the popular girls at her old school had so viciously used to stay on top. Even Fluttershy had no problems making new friends. Sunset, however, could be as anxious as Twilight, and they shared the feeling of not being sure how they fit in quite yet. Sunset Shimmer once told Twilight she had been the queen bitch of Equestria High, and reigned there for a long time before Princess Twilight had changed that. The magic thing was unbelievable, sure, but imagining sweet Sunset Shimmer as a cruel person? That surely was impossible.

Lost in thought, Twilight found herself running straight into Sunset Shimmer. “Hello! I was just on my way to practice. Aren’t you coming? You’re going the wrong way.” 

Twilight took a step back. “I was going to the library. I need to get started on my weekend homework.” Twilight pointed that way, and shifted her backpack to rest on her other shoulder. “Especially if I’m going to go to Pinkie’s Valentine’s day thing. You going?”

“Yeah, I think I will. I’m really glad you’re going, though. I still feel a little out of place at parties.” Sunset seemed a bit distracted as she replied. “Do you have to do your homework right now, though?” Sunset looked nervous. “Not to be a bother but… I wanted to try a new song with them today, but I’m kinda nervous.” She held up a handful of music sheets. “I was hoping you’d be there for moral support.”

“Are you sure? I’m sure they’ll love it, and won’t I be in the way?” Twilight bit her lip. She’d like to go, but Twilight always worried she’d mess up the practices. She was a fish out of water, being the only one with no talent to help them out. 

“They’re great and all, but showing Rainbow Dash something I wrote is unnerving. You know how she is.” They shared a chuckle before Sunset Shimmer continued, “It would help if I could sing it to you when we tried it. Otherwise I’m going to keep looking at her and flub it.” 

Twilight looked at Sunset Shimmer. She had on her usual calm smile, but there was a lot of worry and fear in her eyes. Twilight simply couldn’t let her go in there alone. “I’d love to.”

“Really?” Sunset perked up. “Oh good. And you can do your homework during the other songs.”

Twilight grinned and waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it! I’m sure I’ll get it done tonight. Or tomorrow morning, or even Sunday. I keep forgetting that I’m supposed to have more in my life than books.” 

“Hey, you’re definitely better than you were when you first got here! You’re going to a party, and we won’t even have to bribe you into it.”

“I’d say the cupcakes Pinkie’s going to bake are bribery enough,” giggled Twilight. Together, they headed off to the practice room, chattering about the school day.

.When Twilight and Sunset entered the practice room, Applejack and Rarity were already there. They were tuning their instruments to each other, warming up. Twilight settled on the ground, her back against the blackboard. She watched as Rarity and Applejack goofed around, playing riffs for the other to copy and improve. It was a common way for all the members to warm up and make sure they could listen to each other. It was especially necessary for Rainbow Dash, who would occasionally get too excited and try to boss the others around. Sunset Shimmer plugged in her guitar and began to tune, then slowly warm up her hands. Twilight opened up her notebook and began to doodle. Pinkie Pie bounced in, trailing confetti somehow, and stretched her arms before taking her seat at the drumset. Rainbow Dash came at a light trot, her cheeks flushed from gym class just before and hair wet from the showers. She joined in with the others, chatting about the day’s events with Applejack as they passed around riffs with Rarity and Sunset Shimmer. Twilight grinned. It was nice to see them like this, relaxing and goofing around as they prepared for the work they were about to put in. 

Fluttershy was the last to arrive, at a dead run with a guilty smile. Twilight and the others giggled- it couldn’t have been more obvious that she had gotten distracted by the animals in her animal sciences class again. She was in the last class of the day, and was allowed to feed the animals and often ended up cuddling them. Once they had to come look for Fluttershy and found her and the teacher wrapped up in a discussion of proper snake care. Applejack nearly passed out to find her friend cradling a boa constrictor like a bunny.

With all the members there, Fluttershy led them in scales to warm up their voices a bit before starting in a warm up song for all of them. Pinkie Pie counted them off for one of their favorite warm up songs and they all gained energy as they performed. By the end of the song, all of the girls had produced pony ears and they grinned at each other- that was always a sign that the practice was going to be a great one. They launched into their next song, practicing a few that they hadn’t performed in a while. As they ran through their pre-determined list, each of the girls got more into the performance, an important aspect now that they were beginning to get gigs.

Twilight couldn’t stop herself from dancing in her spot on the ground. When she came to band practices, she always ended up dancing. Sometimes she’d even find herself on her feet and spinning or jumping along to the music. Maybe it was in her head, but when that happened, the Rainbooms got even more energetic as they played. Once, she had ended up dancing with a few other students whose names she didn’t even know. The wild joy of the Rainbooms unlocked the part of her that was too afraid to be near the strange kids in this school, and made her willing to even grab their hands and twirl them, and be twirled in return. 

Watching them perform had other aspects than just the sheer energy and fun of the songs. It had become a hobby of Twilight Sparkle’s to watch each of the members as they performed. Rarity often had her eyes closed, swaying to the music and smiling. She sometimes would dance in place as she played, graceful steps more in place in a ballroom than at a rock concert. As with many things, Rarity made the unusual dancing look perfectly pulled together with the music. 

Applejack always had her eye on the other members, and often was exchanging smiles, glances, or making faces at the others. Twilight noticed that once or twice, she’d change her bassline to better accompany the others- it was subtle but added a rich note. 

Rainbow Dash was dramatic as she played, a natural show-off, but after the battle of the bands, she kept the theatrics in check. Now she often used her dramatics to better show off the other members, turning to them as she shredded and once, stopping playing to make jazz-hands as Sunset Shimmer took a solo. By including and highlighting her friends’ skills, she somehow managed to ooze confidence even more, and the crowds ate it up.

Pinkie Pie was a showman too, impressive since she was at the back of the stage. Though she had removed the confetti cannons at everyone’s insistence, she had picked up other flowery touches. She became great at tossing and catching her sticks, twirling them around her fingers, and her habit of dancing while she played made sure that anywhere a fan looked on stage, they wouldn’t be bored. If Applejack was making faces, it was often to Pinkie, and in Twilight’s opinion, those expressions were often the most fun of watching them on stage. 

Fluttershy was the complete opposite of those hams- much like Rarity, she was often lost in the music. She had even begun to take solo parts recently, though she had to really love the song to be able to do it. She’d always close her eyes and cradle the mic lovingly as she sang ballads, a trait that made half the school fall head over heels for her. 

Sunset Shimmer was Twilight’s favorite to observe, though she’d never admit it to the other girls. She was the most nervous of the others, even Fluttershy. Twilight understood- she had more to lose than the others. The school still wasn’t sure if they liked her, and it would took very little for them to dislike her again. After her reign as the Bad Girl, Sunset had much more to prove, and she had convinced herself she’d never be able to truly set things right.

While Sunset began every performance and practice shaky with her tension about being just right, it only took a few songs for her to loosen up. Once she did, Twilight was always blown away. Sunset Shimmer caught the giddiness from the others and threw all of that energy into her music. She danced with the others occasionally, but often, all of her energy flowed directly from her core to her guitar. On her solos, rather than sink to her knees, Sunset stood with her feet solidly shoulder length apart, and Twilight swore there was a glimmer around her fingertips. The euphoria of music set Sunset apart. The others loved music and the band, but Sunset Shimmer lived for it. When Sunset Shimmer’s gaze met Twilight’s, there was a spark and Twilight knew the music was flowing to her, too. It was incredibly electrifying. 

The time had come in the practice to try any new songs the members wanted to show. Twilight stood up and began to hand out music stands, and smiled as each girl nodded or thanked her. With a deep breath, Sunset Shimmer reached into her bag and handed the music to everybody. There was a few quiet minutes as they all read the music and lyrics, humming a little. Sunset eyed them and cleared her throat, shooting an anxious look at Twilight, who nodded, and gave a reassuring thumbs up. “Uh, I don’t know if it’s good, but I figured we could work out any issues. It’s kind of quiet.”

“Should we do this acoustic, then?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking over at the acoustic guitars on the wall. 

“Maybe? I’d like to try it electric first. I mean, it’s less work than dragging out new instruments.” Sunset Shimmer swallowed hard, running her fingers over her strings nervously before wiping them on her jeans. “Are you guys ready?”

They nodded, and Sunset Shimmer began counting so Pinkie Pie would know the pace she thought was best. “One, two, three, four-”

“Five, six, seven, eight!” Finished Pinkie, clicking her sticks so the others could hear the beat better. They set off, Sunset Shimmer taking the lead vocals. The song was a bit different from the rest of their catalog- Twilight knew it from the first line. It seemed that Sunset had written the band’s very first song about a crush. 

_You’re creeping up on me like sunrise_

_Your golden heart lighting up the eastern skies_

_All this light making me realize_

_I got it bad_

_Feelings rushing up with every new dawn_

_You’re oblivious, but I am so gone_

_I can’t help but hope someday_

_you’ll like me back_

Sunset Shimmer looked directly at Twilight Sparkle while singing. It was clear she was trying to block out the others, in case their reactions were negative. Twilight couldn’t look away, and she didn’t really want to. It seemed to calm Sunset Shimmer down, her eyes losing some of their fear when Twilight smiled encouragingly. 

Sunset Shimmer was quiet as she sang. Instead of getting lost in the power of six other instruments, her voice blended well. Her husky alto was a bit shaky in the first verse before gaining power at the chorus. Twilight couldn’t help but imagine her voice like a cat, twining with the harmonies of the other girls.

The song was melodic rather than catchy. It was the kind of song perfect for a slow dance, swaying with your partner under a ceiling of multicolored lights. Twilight blinked. For a second, she felt as if she were there, someone’s arms wrapped around her. She wasn’t sure who she imagined in the daydream, but she knew it was a daydream she hoped came true. Twilight Sparkle felt a bit flustered after her unintentional daze, and blushed. Something must have shown in her face, because Sunset Shimmer was smiling when Twilight looked back at her. Twilight blushed more, this time in embarrassment. She was relieved when the song was over, and began to applaud with true enthusiasm. 

At the open door, a small crowd had gathered, and they joined in, some cheering and whistles coming from the back. Sunset’s golden skin glowed a deeper orange, reflecting her namesake. Clearing her throat, she turned to her bandmates. “So….” Her uncertainty was expressed in a hard swallow and raising her hands in a questioning shrug. “What do you think?”

“I love it!” Fluttershy was the first to respond, a huge smile on her face. “It was incredible.”

“You… you really think?”

“Hell yes!” Applejack cut in. “It was really good!”

“Yeah, why haven’t you written before?”

Sunset flushed deeper under all the praise. “I don’t know. I guess I was too scared.”

“Well darling, please don’t be scared. We’re your friends and we’d never lie to you, sweetheart!”

Pinkie Pie was bouncing behind her set. “I think we should try it again!”

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash stood straight from writing notes on her music sheet. Sunset Shimmer looked nervous again. The other girls looked confused, and Twilight was too. What was wrong? Personally, she was dying to hear the song again. “Is it okay if I have some suggestions?”

Sunset Shimmer looked even more nervous. “Of course.”

“Well, it’s just- I think maybe we have too many instruments on this song. If you’re okay, i’d like to sit out and just sing this time.” Everybody looked shocked. “What? I think it will really help. We can at least try it, just once.”

Rarity spoke up. “Maybe I should sit out too. A keytar isn’t really good for this type of song, I think.” Rainbow Dash nodded, and Applejack looked thoughtful as she nodded too. 

“Ready to try again?” Pinkie asked, twirling a drumstick. Everybody nodded, hands returning to their instruments, except for Rainbow Dash and Rarity, both of whom had put their instruments aside. The song began again. 

Again, Sunset Shimmer let her gaze linger on Twilight, and again, Twilight looked directly back. Rainbow Dash, this time able to focus on more than sight reading and listening for harmonies to fine tune, turned and exchanged a glance with Rarity, her eyebrow raised. Rarity smiled and raised her eyebrows in response, forming a small heart with her fingers. Fluttershy noticed and shook her tambourine in their direction with a teasing “leave them alone!” look. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and focused again on singing harmony.

The song finished again and Twilight felt as if she had just woken up from a daze. She looked at her doodles from earlier for a chance to recover, pencil tracing some of the flowing lines and flowering loops. She continued to idly doodle as the Sonic Rainbooms went over the song, rehearsing certain spots and deciding which instruments or harmonies were best. Though she loved the music and listening to them talk about it, the technical talk went over her head. She had tried to study musical theory and acoustics of different instruments, but the Sonic Rainbooms didn’t talk in those terms, simply having an ear for what would sound best. The part she loved best was them playing or singing bars of the music to each other, listening to each other and finding harmonies and riffs that were perfectly suited to each other. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were choosing different instruments, finding what would be perfect, and writing down the notes as the others played new things. Twilight smiled as she drew a flowering rose. That’s what this felt like to her- a beautiful bud beginning to flower into an even more incredible song. 

“Okay, from the top?” Sunset Shimmer asked the others. Rarity held up a finger as she finished writing something down. When she lowered her pencil and nodded, Pinkie Pie counted them off. 

This time, Twilight decided to sketch the Sonic Rainbooms as they performed. Pinkie Pie’s beat was slow and steady, keeping to the bass drum and floor tom-tom. She grooved as she played, shoulders dancing as she bobbed her head. Twilight followed the gesture with her pencil, simplifying Pinkie to a few lines. Fluttershy was still yet graceful, only shimmering her tambourine a few times. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were facing each other, watching each others’ hands. Twilight drew them as a pair, mirror images of each other focused on staying in sync. Rarity swayed in place as she played a few simple notes on a marimba. Her arms were blurred as she rolled fluid melodies in the lower tones. 

The Rainbooms were just starting the second verse when Twilight had finished the simple gestures. She began drawing Sunset Shimmer, intending to draw a simple gesture as she had the others. But once she had begun drawing, she couldn’t stop. Once again, Sunset Shimmer’s performance of the song caught Twilight as none of the others had. Twilight guessed it was because it was Sunset’s song- she was caught in the emotion in a way none of the others could be. 

Sunset Shimmer had surrendered lead guitar to Rainbow Dash to better focus on singing. She cradled the microphone like a lover, some words sang so gently it felt like a whisper. Twilight sketched her figure lightly, guitar hanging from her shoulder, Sunset’s stance balanced but leaning forward. Her hair spilled like liquid flames over her shoulder- she always ran her fingers through her hair while working on music, and the habit made her curls hang looser than usual, tangling with each other like close friends. Her cyan eyes closed with emotion, but when they opened, she couldn’t tear her gaze from Twilight. Twilight Sparkle had difficulty drawing Sunset with her eyes open- it was difficult to look away for very long. As they entered the chorus for the last time, Sunset smiled dreamily and closed her eyes. Swallowing hard, Twilight looked down at the finished sketches. 

Amongst the half drawn simple sketches of the others, Sunset Shimmer’s drawing stood in sharp contrast. It was more complete. Her body remained a drift of lines indicating her stance, her guitar, the way her hands held the mic, but her face was detailed. The shape of her eyes, lips, and nose were perfectly drawn, the curve of her cheekbone shadowed without being too sharp. Sunset’s hair curled messily. All in all, Twilight could see where she needed to improve, but she liked the portrait. 

Sonic Rainboom’s rehearsal was finished. Twilight hurriedly flipped her notebook closed. She hated people looking at her doodles- they just weren’t good enough for critiques. Standing and brushing off her skirt, Twilight helped the others put their things away. It was easy enough to do- She and Fluttershy handled the music stands in a jiffy, and Pinkie Pie always appreciated the help moving the drum kit. Today, with all the instruments Rainbow Dash and Rarity had dragged out, everybody needed to spend a few extra minutes sorting them out and put them all away. Still, they finished in less than ten minutes and the girls giggled and chattered on their way to grab backpacks and meet outside the school. A good rehearsal was always followed by milkshakes- it was simply music fact. Pinkie adamantly insisted Fall Out Boy always ate pancakes and drank milkshakes after each performance. None of the others could find proof, but it seemed like a good excuse for a milkshake so they all went along with it. 

Since Twilight Sparkle already had her bag, she trailed along after Dash and Applejack as they led the way outside. Both girls already had their bags with them too. They leaned around the statue/portal and chatted.

“So, Twilight,” started Rainbow Dash. “What did you think of the new song?” Twilight missed the knowing look exchanged between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and Applejack’s wink. 

“Oh! I liked it a lot.” Twilight fumbled for words. She wasn’t sure why they asked her- it almost felt like a test. If she answered wrongly, they may not invite her back to rehearsals and she enjoyed them. “It was fun watching you guys come up with the arrangements. I like that you kept Sunset Shimmer on lead vocals, she really gets into it.”

Applejack was braiding her hair back from her face. “Yeah, I think her voice is fantastic for it. No offense, Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “My voice is good for loud rock and roll, not these sappy love songs.” She turned back to Twilight. “Did you have a favorite arrangement?” Correctly interpreting Twilight’s look of apprehension, she held up her hands and added, “It’s not a test! Seriously, it’s hard for us to hear exactly what it sounds like- all of us hear our instrument the most clearly.”

Twilight nodded and relaxed. “Well, I’d say maybe you could do different mixes for different effects. Before you pick what you want the final song to sound like, you need to decide what the… the _emotion_ is.” She gnawed on her lip in thought, not noticing Fluttershy approaching the group. “That’s not the right word, I guess. But the original, with all the instruments- it’s not quite overwhelming, but it has a bigger sound. If you used that right, like maybe entering at different times? Well, you could really make it have more impact at certain points.” Twilight was getting enthused, using her hands as she talked. “That second time, with just guitar, bass and bass drum- that had this cool authentic quality. It felt-” She paused, grasping for words. “It felt organic. I really liked when only Pinkie played and everybody else hummed their parts. It almost felt haunting, like Sunset’s voice was just floating. The one with the marimba- it had this delicate twisting feel, like a lullaby or something in a dream. Honestly, any way you choose will sound really strong. You guys are a great band.”

“Wow, I didn’t notice you listened that closely!” Sunset Shimmer sounded flattered. The other girls giggled at Twilight’s sheepish look. 

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get some milkshakes!” Pinkie Pie bounced ahead, grabbing Twilight Sparkle’s arm and dragging her behind. “No band talk until milkshakes!"

**Author's Note:**

> It's 2020 and we all need some fluffy fluff of first crushes and sappy songs. Also, wrote an entire song for this and used two stanzas. Woops.


End file.
